Mandela 'continues his recovery' at home

Former South African president Nelson Mandela has been discharged from hospital in Pretoria after a stay of almost three months.

The 95-year-old was admitted to the Mediclinic Heart Hospital on June 8 this year for treatment of a persistent and recurring lung infection, thought to be a lasting effect of his imprisonment on Robben Island.

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma on Sunday released a statement confirming Mr Mandela would leave hospital to be treated at his home in Houghton, a suburb of Johannesburg.

Homecoming: An ambulance carrying Nelson Mandela arrives at his house in Johannesburg on Sunday. Photo: AFP

"We would like to wish him all the best as he continues his recovery at his Johannesburg home," the statement said, adding the anti-apartheid leader's condition remained critical and sometimes unstable.

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"His home has been reconfigured to allow him to receive intensive care there."

The statement indicated Mr Mandela, who is also known by his clan name Madiba, may return to hospital in the future.

Warm wishes: A get-well message is seen on a brick outside Nelson Mandela's garden in Houghton, Johannesburg on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

"During his stay in hospital from the 8th of June 2013, the condition of our former President vacillated between serious to critical and at times unstable," it said.

"If there are health conditions that warrant another admission to hospital in future, this will be done."

The statement later thanked the large medical team attending to Mr Mandela and "most" media who had covered his illness.

Earlier this year Mr Mandela's daughter Makaziwe criticised the deluge of foreign media for being like "vultures" waiting for the last of a buffalo's carcass.

"There's sort of a racist element with many of the foreign media, where they just cross boundaries," she said after details emerged her father was on life support.

Mr Mandela was elected South Africa's first black president in 1994, after spending 27 years in prison for opposing predominantly white rule.